Jambs b



(No Model.)

J B FARRAR Gatherer and Ruffler for Sewing Machines. No. 235,220.

Patented Dec. 7, I880.

WENTOR W ATTORNEYS WITNESSES: I

NJEI'ERS. PNOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GATHERER AND RUFFLER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 235,220, dated December '7, 1880.

Application filed July 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES B. FARRAR, of Wilmington, in the county of New Hanover and State of North Carolina, haveinvented a new and Improved Gatherer and Ruffler for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure is a perspective view showing my invention.

My invention relates to an improvement in gathering and ruffling attachments for sewing-machines designed to gather a piece of fabric either at its edges or throughout its entire surface, and to gather either a single thickness of fabric or to gather or shirr a piece of fabric on a groundwork, or to gather one piece of fabric to another, and at the same time attach a ribbon, tape, or braid at the seam, all in a single operation. To this end my invention consists in a detachable arm. having at one end a screw adapted to fasten it to the work-plate of any machine, and having at the other end a detachable blade set at right angles and arranged in line with the feed, which device is adapted to co-operate with a reciprocating gathering blade working between this stationary blade and a presserfoot above, as hereinafter more fully described.

Before proceeding to describe my invention I would state that I do not claim that part of the device illustrated in the drawing for actuating the reciprocating gathering-blade, as it is not new or original with me except in its combination with my additional device. I would have it understood, moreover, that my invention is not limited 'in its combination to the particular means shown for reciprocating the gathering-blade, as it has a wider range of use;

Referring to the drawing, A represents the presser-bar; B, the needle-bar; G, the workplate, and D the table of any ordinary sewingmachine.

Attached to the resser-bar, and occupying the position of the ordinary presser-foot, is a flat horizontal frame, E, having an orifice, a, through which the needle passes. This frame, which is virtually the presser-foot, is shown elevated to better expose the underlying parts.

An elbow-lever, b, is fnlcrumed to an upturned car on this frame, and is slotted at one end and connected by a screwpin with the needlebar, so that as the latter reciprocates the vertical and shorter arm of the lever oscillates in a nearly-horizontal plane. This end of the lever b connects with a horizontal slide, a, of the frame E, which slide carries a right-angular arm, 01, which bears the gathering-blade e, Working just beneath that part of the frame E in front of the needle-orifice. This particular means for reciprocating the gatheringblade is a part of what is known as the Johnston Ruffler, and forms a convenient mechan- 6 5 ism for co-operating with my attachment, which I will now describe.

F is a metal arm, which is adapted to be fastened to the work-plate by a screw, f, and close to this point of attachment rises with an upward bend and descends again, forming a loop, 9, and then extends horizontally along the edge of the work-plate to the line of the needle. At the end of this arm is securely fastened by a screw, h, a thin, long blade, G, whose end is branched, so as to extend a short distance on each side of the needle. The object of this blade G is to prevent the gatherin g-blade (which is immediately above it) from coming in contact with the sewing-machine 8o feed, and to hold the gathers as they are pushed forward by the gathering-blade and prevent them from being pulled back by the said gathering-blade on the back movement. in the Johnston rufiler means are devised for this same purpose; but as they are in the nature of an attachment to the p'resser-foot frame E it is obvious that the depth of the ruffling or gathering, is limited to a very short distance from the edge of the fabric. 0

My invention is characterized by the following different ranges of use:

First, it allows the material tobe ruffled, gathered, or shirred over the whole surface of the fabric, the size of which fabric and extent 5 of the shirrin g being only limited by the space under the arm of the machine. Thus, when it is simply desired to gather a single thickness of material, the latter passes under the arm of the machine and over the bend g of the arm F and over the blade G, which latter rests between the fabric and the sewing-machine feed while the gathering-blade is making the gathers.

Secondly, it permits a surface of fabric to be rnflled, gathered, or shirred consecutively over the whole surface, and at the same time and with the same stitch joins this shirred facing to a groundwork of some other mate rial. For this purpose the material which forms the groundwork has one edge rolled up and inserted through the loop g, while the other edge passes beneath the blade G and is acted upon by the feed. The fabric to be shirred onto this groundwork is then passed over the top of bend g and oyer the blade G, as in the first case. The fabric at the bottom then has the normal feed of the machine, while the upper piece is fed much faster by reason of the gathers. This latter arrangement permits of great range of economical ornamentation, as two broad pieces maybe thus connected to produce a very ornamental effect, especially where the top piece is of some light fabric; or tapes, ribbons, or narrow strips may be gathered or shirred upon and attached to any part of a garment; or two whole pieces may be attached together by shirring, and braids or ornamental bindings attached by the same line of stitches to cover the plaits or folds.

Thirdly, I have found that by simply removing the screw which holds arm F and screw it and reversing the position of the arm and plate, as shown in dotted lines, the goods may be shirred with alternately-reversed diagonal gathers.

Thus, by passing the goodsl through with the attachment in its normal position, I tind that by simply pulling the goods so as to strain the feed the plaits or folds will assume a diagonal position, and then by reversing the attachment, as shown in dotted lines, and commencing at the opposite end of the goods and again straining the goods, the diagonal folds may be thrown to a reverse inclination, which gives a. very orna mental effect. With respect to the function of the bond 9 in the arm, I would state that it not only gives place to the rolled-up fabric, but forms a bearing for the top fabric which straightens out; wrinkles or folds and allows the goods to be fed evenly under the presserfoot.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new lS- The detachable bent arm F, having at one end a screw, f, to adapt it to be attached to the work-plate of a sewing-machine, and how iug at the other end a detachable blade, G, and screw h, for fastening said blade, which is arranged in the relation to the line of feed as described, and is adapted to co-operate with a presser-foot above and an interposed reciprocating gathering-blade, substantially as de scribed, and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 22d day of July, 1880.

JAMES B. FARRAR. Witnesses:

Enwn. W. BYRN, CHAS. A. PETTIT. 

